One of Albert Einstein's theory of general relativity's most fascinating predictions is the possibility of black holes, which are created after a massive star reaches the end of its life and collapses. Supermassive black holes as big as 100,000 or ten billion times the Sun are commonly found at the center of most galaxies.
Those are the biggest form of black holes, but it is also thought that primordial black holes (PBHs) also exist. Unlike the big ones, these tiny black holes emerged in the early cosmos through the gravitational collapse of extraordinarily dense areas.
Atom-sized Primordial Black Holes Are Extremely Dense Objects That Could Weigh Millions of Tons, Experts Reveal
Primordial Black Holes Interaction With Neutron Stars
In theory, primordial black holes have varied masses that range in size from subatomic particles to even several hundreds of kilometers. A primordial black hole with a mass equal to Mount Everest could have an atomic size.
As per an article in The Conversation, these small black holes could lose mass at a quicker rate than the massive ones and emit Hawking radiation as they do so.
Astronomers have not been able to observe PBHs till recently as it is an ongoing investigation since it is thought that these ultra-compact particles are part of the universe's long-sought dark matter.
In a recent paper, titled "Gamma-ray Emission From Primordial Black Hole-Neutron Star Interaction" published in the Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, researchers offered an alternate possibility for discovering atom-sized primordial black holes.
The distinctive signal of the interaction between one of PBHs and one of the densest things in the universe, a neutron star, is investigated in the study. A stellar black hole is formed from a massive star exploding and its core collapsing, but it is not always the case. When the core is less massive than three solar masses, it becomes a neutron star.
Its youngest subclass known as pulsars can spin at extremely high velocities and emit radiation in the form of narrow beams that sometimes reach Earth. But it loses its speed over time and makes it difficult to detect.
Researchers believe that PBHs eventually interact with other astronomical objects, like neutron stars, as they roam the universe. If they do so, an atom-sized primordial black hole could encounter an old neutron star. The possible scenarios of their interaction could include PBH being captured in the neutron star or when atom-sized PBH come from a long distance, it can go around the neutron star and move infinitely.
READ ALSO: Supermassive Black Holes May Host the 'Largest Tsunami-Like' Structures, Experts Say
Gamma-Ray Bursts Released From Pulsars
The high-energy beam from pulsars is known as a gamma-ray burst (GRB). As per Interesting Engineering, the shorter GRBs are due to the merging of neutron stars or black holes, while longer bursts are caused by the death of massive stars also known as supernovae.
GRBs could last for a few seconds and are sometimes characterized by a smooth and sustained emission followed by an abrupt and rapid decrease. But even detecting GRBs do not make it easy to detect primordial black holes.
Nonetheless, measuring a particular GRB using modern telescopes could still help in detecting ancient PBH. It would provide experimental evidence of PBH and prove the fundamental predictions of Stephen Hawking.
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